Up in smoke

Regrettably my Pub 'Tavarn Ty Elise', a little bar in the Breton countryside between Uhelgoad (Huelgoat) & Karaez (Carhaix), (Bro Gerne) Finistere, Breizh/Llydaw/Brittany/Bretagne burned down in the early hours of friday February 19, 2010. Thirty years of my life up in smoke, but in spite of that the phoenix has risen again and the red dragon is back.

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Saturday, 7 January 2017

Visitors

7pm and I've just got my computer working for the first time since last night! Plenty of tests again today, particularly of the heart, 9 different injections; glycemia, anti-cloagulent/philibitis & insulin. Two visits from Morwen today, one with the local daily newspaper, one visit from Helen, she brought me a sack of clementines but was told to leave them in the car, she brought me some the other day and I ate them; one phone call from Elise, one from Liliane. Yesterday Yvon a regular customer & friend for 36 years turned up, so did Lleuwen with 3 books so I'm not lost for a read: 'Coal an anthology of mining', not a book on geology but poetry & prose from the mining areas; 'Richard G. Jenkin a great son of Cornwall' Morwenna's father, and 'To Dream of Freedom' a story of M.A.C. & the F.W.A. based upon the deeds of Julian Cayo Evans, Denis Coslett & John Barnard Jenkins, the day previous she brought me a writing book with a suggestion to write my autobiography. Liliane & Gareth Westacott came to see me last sunday before he caught the ferry back to Plymouth last Monday morning, Ivor's nephew Barrie and his wife were here a week ago and Liliane's brother Francis was here a couple of days ago.

Wales - W. Watkin Davies

Destiny of the Britons - Taliesin

Wales United

"If they decide to unite," he said, "they would be completely invincible. This nation would be fortunate....if they could accept one prince, and he a good one." - Gerallt Cymro (Giraldus Cambrensis)

The result was that the king, Henry II, with his mighty army, was forced to retreat, and in his anger he blinded his hostages and burned the churches.

Putting the Record Straight

At a time when the vast majority of the French abandoned their fate into the hands of Marshall Pétin, many Bretons chose, and that as early as 1940, to go to England to continue the fight. At the end of 1940 the Bretons made up 70% of the resistance while Brittany only comprises 7% of the French population. The resistance went on to attract more and more men and women, yet at the end of 1943, only six months before the Normandy landings, the Bretons still represented 40% of the Free French. This is not to forget the resistance in Brittany itself, a vast uprising of the whole people, which retained many German troops in the peninsula, for these, had they been allowed to reach the Normandy front, would have pushed the Allies back to sea. It is also thanks to the Bretons that France, whose authorities had massively collaborated with Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1944, could recover her honour. The brutal repression which was triggered after D-Day against all forms of Bretonness, seems all the more disgraceful.
Bernard Le Nail

Bethesda Chapel, Georgetown, Merthyr Tydfil

Joseph Parry worshipped in this chapel as a young boy before going "off to Philadelphia in the morning". One day I received a note from Margaret Roberts, Emrys's wife asking me to volunteer to help to clean it out, which I was happy to do. Later on John Jenkins had an office there and I used to go down to see him for a chat at lunch time."

W.H.I.P.P.E.T.

Richard Trevithithick Commemorative Plate

2004 Bi- Centenary Limited Edition No. 110 out of 200, a gift to me from Llinos Davis representing the school

Asst. Costermonger around the streets of Rhymni, Merthyr & Cwm Cynon ValleyIndustrial painter, Mid-Glam C.C.Storeman;night watchman;refuse collector;street cleaner;toilet attendant;brickie's,plasterer's,fitter's,roofer's mate;Town Hall caretaker;General handyman, Rhydycar Leisure Centre,all with Merthyr Borough CouncilShop Steward;Political Ward Branch Secretary;Constituency Membership Secretary;National Delegate;Area Organiser Welsh Language;County Council Candidate;Election Agent, Borough Council;member of Merthyr Tydfil and Ebbw Vale Rugby Clubs;member of Gellifaelog Bowls Club;life-long supporter of Merthyr Tydfil F.C., founder member of extra mural Welsh classes; signed Merthyr's 'Visitors' Book' after Charles and Di; moved to Brittany in 1979, landlord of 'Tavarn Ty Elise';voted in newspaper, person who comes to mind when one thinks of Brittany; more than one guide book refers to my Pub as an 'institution'; largest open air music festival in France conceived in my Bar. Helped to establish first 'Real Ale' micro-brewery in Brittany. Alan Stivell is my niece's godfather and my daughter's godmother is a daughter one of the 'Soeurs Gouadec';Yann Tiersen played in the pub;Jean-Claude Dreyfuss drank and acted in the pub for a video-clip.For my Wedding, the Merthyr Express sent over its Chief Reporter Melanie Doel and her photographer boyfriend Robert Haines. Best Man to George & Marilyn Quirk; Usher to Mike & Rhiannon Jones. Pall-bearer to Erwan Kervella. Grandfather to Goulwen, Glen & Awena.